Looking for a hog gun.

[tailchain]

I have been thinking of getting a dedicated hog gun as my property is being overrun with the critters. My place is in E. Texas and the whole state is overtaken with pigs. I would like to have a fast handling gun in a caliber that would stop a large hog fast with a decent hit in the vitals. I have a Savage 99 in .308 that I had considered using but would like to hear some other recommendations from you guys.

[arch308]

Remington 7400 in 30-06! I love mine and with the 10 rnd mag it is devestating when a group shows it's ugly head. I bought it used and it has proved to be extremely reliable. For the price IMO it is hard to beat. I also took a nice 8-point with it this season @ 180+ yrds. I suggest a good 180 grainer for pigs.

[the rifleer]

I would have thought that something like a mini 30 would be what you want, but I don't have pigs here so i would't know. If its less than 200 yards id want a mini 30.

[saddlerocker]

If your allowed to hunt with semi-auto, why not an AR?

Its light and short and with the now common 1:7" twist it shoots 69-77gr projectiles very nicely.

If .5.56 is too small they have alot of 6.8 ARs available now.
And .308 of course
basically any Caliber you want

Im partial to the AR platform due to its lightweight, short overall length, and endless customization.

[arch308]

He said he wanted to stop them fast. That 7.62x39 won't do that. Oh, it will kill them but they will probably run a while. Same for a .223.

[saddlerocker]

What is your budget?

[jehu]

That 308 will get the job done or get a AR10 in 308.

[BigBadPigg]

.3o8 wil work great I use it all the time for hogs!

[tim s]

Ideal Pig gun, either a 6.8 or 6.5. light, sturdy, fast follow up if needed.

[mongo356]

Savage has that new Hog Hunter rifle 11/111. It looks like a good rifle for that purpose.

look under the "specialty series" on the left menu.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

[customaquatics]

He said he wanted to stop them fast. That 7.62x39 won't do that. Oh, it will kill them but they will probably run a while. Same for a .223.??? no one said anything bout a AK an the hollow-points prolly would with head shots as for some reason wild pigs are starting to show there face up here in central illinois.

[9mm1033]

Be nice to try a M-1 Garand in 30.06. Maybe too heavy and long to wheel around for quick shots, but 8 such rounds as fast as you could pull the trigger. Fun and deadly all in one. Just a thought. :cool: Or, how about a Remington 870, 12 gauge, rifled barrel, shooting a sabot round?

[Smokey Joe]

Tailchain--IMHO, your 99 in .308 is dandy for hogs. A .308 is certainly "enough gun for the job," and the 99 will crank out follow-up shots just fine. Not quite as quick as an autoloader, of course, but you need time to re-align the sights and swing the rifle anyhow.

If you need an excuse and have the $$ then by all means get yourself an autoloader for the piggies if that's what you want. But was it me, I wouldn't.

[upstate81]

I like the remmy 7600 pump in 3006. Fast follow up shots if your lucky enough and the option of iron sights if you would prefer. You can choose between new synthetic black plastic types or some nice glossy walnut.

[precision_shooter]

He said he wanted to stop them fast. That 7.62x39 won't do that. Oh, it will kill them but they will probably run a while. Same for a .223.

The 150lb sow I dropped with 1 shot would disagree with your statement. I shot her with 55gr VMAX out of my AR. It was what I call a Bang-Flop. No tracking, she didn't move. Shot her in the vitals, not behind the ear...

[Abel]

The Savage 99 that you have is better or as good as anything else there is. Use your money to find what ammo your 99 likes the best.

[RockRiverWhisper]

300 whisper if you hunt from a stand you will be amazed how many you will get before they run. I have got 4 on the corn before they Out the window is good to.

[jcjr3020]

I was planing on taking my .308 on the next hog hunt, but i just got an older Marlin 336 in 30-30 and was wandering how that would do?

[arch308]

Hey Precision Shooter, what I should have said is they won't always stop them fast. I stand corrected. Actually, I'm suprised a V-Max got thru the fur and fat. Try that on a 350 lb boar charging you and see what happens.
Actually a good lever action 30-30 would work fine and a 99 in 308 even better. But I still like my 7400. No such thing as too much gun IMO.

[Webleymkv]

I always thought that a Marlin 1895G .45-70 seemed like an ideal hog gun. Even with mild loadings, a 300-405gr bullet should put plenty of wallop on any pig.

[JACK308]

You want to stop it dead in its track marlin 1895 45/70 350 laser cast.

[sundog]

Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. Bing/Google Ranch Dog Outdoors for a really fine selection of cast bullets the he has proven on deer and pigs on his own ranch.

[mete]

http://www.natuxo.com/videos-chasse/sauer-202-84169.html

Do you mean like this ?? :eek: He's an exhibition shooter with an eight shot Sauer 202 bolt action ! :D

[tobnpr]

That's the most incredible bolt action shooting I've ever seen...

Silly me. I could never understand why anyone would want a high capacity DBM on a hunting rifle.

[precision_shooter]

Hey Precision Shooter, what I should have said is they won't always stop them fast. I stand corrected. Actually, I'm suprised a V-Max got thru the fur and fat. Try that on a 350 lb boar charging you and see what happens.
Actually a good lever action 30-30 would work fine and a 99 in 308 even better. But I still like my 7400. No such thing as too much gun IMO.

You are absolutely right that it would probably not work on a larger 350lb charging boar. But a shot in the ear would put it down with the 55gr V-Max. But if i'm out hunting hogs, I always have my Glock 20, 10mm on my side stoked with some stout loads...

[arch308]

Now yur talkin'.

[twobit]

Two years ago I shopped for a dedicated hog gun because I did not want to bang up my nice .270 bolt action deer rifle shooting hogs at night. I found a Remington 760 carbine in 30-06 with synthetic stocks on gun broker for about $350. It is a 1963 model. I left the iron sights on, did not add a scope, and added a green laser, for night shots. It drops the big ones without pause. I have shot some hogs with my ar-15 5.56mm but prefer the 30-06 for the big guys.

[RubenX]

From what I've learned, no matter the application, it has to be black, in either .233 or 308, American built. But since I have a Japanese Howa in 30-06 in happy green color, I'm gonna say "whatever works" :D

Just make sure your local game regulations are OK with magazine capacities. Some places get cranky when you go over 5 rounds.

[CTS]

Hogs in many states including Florida are considered nuisance animals and are not subject to game regulations, with the exception of some WMAs.

[bshefa]

My friends and I try to eradicate hogs here in central Texas and have been through many makes, models and calibers.

My go to gun for walking around or just running around one of our places in the truck and blasting away (this is leagal in Texas!) is a cheapo ugly Remington 7400 synthetic in 30-06. I have never had a group that I didn't get at least 2 out of. It isn't the most accurate gun but it is minute of hog out to 100 yards. I use a ten round mag.

When there is only my brother in law and I, I use my Armalite AR10 I got a few years ago. It is much easier to hold on target for follow up shots BUT it is signifcantly heavier, much louder because of the muzzle break, and about $1000 more expesive. HOWEVER it is extremely accurate for hitting hogs WAY out there and continuing to drop them as they really don't know what is hitting them. It really does some damage but I really don't like to haul it around in the woods as it is so heavy.

I really don't like shooting hogs with small caliber rifles when they are in large groups because it is hard to shoot at 40 running animals for head shots to get clean DRT kills. Too many have ran from multiple body shots with .223s.

[bshefa]

Looking at the other posts the 6.8 is pretty good too. My buddy shoots a Mini 14 6.8 and does VERY well with it.

I agree with ARCH308. 150lbs around here is a small hog. I like a lot more for those 300+ ones. My buddy killed a 480lb one last year with 300WSM and I killed a 400lb one same time with 30-06. The 480 was shot directly in vitals and was still trying to mess us up when we went to get it. Several 45s to the head fixed that but...

[hornetguy]

I think the Marlin 336 in 30-30 would work just fine. I think it would be at its best with good, large meplat cast bullets, but a good 170gr round or flat nose would probably work very well, also.

I've only killed two 150-ish hogs with my SKS, and I believe the "standard" 123gr bullet is too light. I haven't had a chance to try the 154gr soft points, but I think they might work a little better.

If I was going to choose a hog gun, and price was no object, I might have to go with an M14 type, like the Socom. The ones I've handled seem to be fairly light, and quick handling, and the .308 would be all the punch you would need for just about any hog that ever rooted... With the picatinny rail system on it, you could have any type of sight plus laser, and flashlight mounted, ready for use.

[frigate88]

Don't know what your budget is, but I have the .50 cal Beowulf AR-15 that I use for pigs. Stops them dead in their tracks every time. I've killed probably 50-60 pigs with that gun and not one pig has moved more than a few feet after being hit. Just an idea. It's semi auto so you can keep firing when you come up to a whole pack of pigs.

[MarkDozier]

Marlin 30-30, 170 grain federal RNFP. but if you want a vehicle mounted weapon a 30MM chain gun would do the job.A good searchlight is a must.

In TX the small ones less then 150 lbs make real good hams.

And if you need help let me know i will come down from Washington in the spring and help you out. But you have to make the coffee and biscuts.

[NWCP]

A good AR platform in either 6.8SPCII. or a .308.

[grubbylabs]

I would either go with the 30-30 you have or find a beat up one or a 1895 45-70. Either one with the right load should be pleasant to shoot and drop them in their tracks. I just bought a new Marlin 1895 and had a smith put the longer mag tube on it from a CB model and boy is it nice. I wasted the last of my Hornady RN in it and I am now going to work up some cast loads for it. I bought a 400 grain FP for it. It is a custom mold that is similar to a Ranch Dog mold.

[Zulu343]

I shoot hogs in FL and have a modified Saiga AK-47 with a fixed 4X scope. The light 7.62x39SP bullets have no problem with hogs, the heavier would be even better. It's light, accurate to at least 200 yards, and fast follow-up shots. If a 450lb boar was charging me, I'd rather have a 5-shot semi-auto AK than my bolt action 30-06.

[CTS]

Again, why only 5 shot? Are you hunting on WMAs? If you are hunting on private land in Florida, hogs are considered nuisance animals and not subject to game hunting laws. You can have a 30rd mag if you want.

[plumbernater]

I havent been hog hunting in a long time, but I use to tote a old winchester 38-40 to hog hunt. My dad at 72 totes a marlin 94 in 44 mag.

[Old Grump]

Most any lever action 30 cal or larger but for quick pointing and fast down I would think shotgun. Pump or semi, barrel under 22" with hi viz rifle sights and plain old Brenneke slugs. Brand irrelevant, hog won't notice the difference. Sight in for 60 yards and you are good to go from 6' to 90 yards. Just make sure the stock fits you and you practice regularly on ground targets at various distances. Reflex and reaction will make you hell on wheels as far as the porcine population is concerned.

[arentol]

Get a Marlin Guide Gun. It is inexpensive, light, easy to use, quick to bring to bear on the target, and very accurate out to 100 yards with a peep or ghost site, let alone a scout scope if scopes are your thing. The lever action allows for faster follow up shots than you will get from a bolt action rifle and nearly as fast as from a semi-auto.

Power is a non issue with this gun as it is a bit of overkill for this purpose. High-end retail or hand loads will take a Cape Buffalo in one shot, and can even be used for elephant if you don't have anything better. Compared to that boar is kind of a joke. Normal 45-70 non-expanding ammo will give you full penetration through a boar lengthwise, even it it hits some bone along the way. Also because it is a .458 caliber bullet the wound channel is bigger (for faster bleedout) than with .30-30 and similar rifle ammo. Especially if you use an expanding bullet that can still give you full penetration. Speaking of which....

If it were me I would use a Guide Gun + Buffalo Bore item 8B:

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=151

I honestly think that would be the perfect dedicated hog rifle setup.

[redraider]

.458 Socom..

I have been following this thread on another site, and this gentleman has killed over 200 in 2 years with this weapon. A few times he has gotten a
"2fer" Actually killing 2 hogs with one bullet, and they where both dead on the spot!

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=449721

[tahoe2]

your Savage 99 in 308 should be great! but if you must have a new/used gun

Marlin lever in 35 REM, 375 WIN, 444 Marlin, or 1895 in 45-70

all "fast handling" and puts em down "right now!" my .02 cents

[603Country]

I've long been a fan of the Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. I could really throw some lead with the one I had. That'd be great for pigs. Another option would be a compact bolt gun, like the Remington Model 7 or my Ruger Compact. Something like a 260 or a 7MM-08 in an easy handling short rifle would allow for pig shots out beyond what the 35 can do - which is the reason I finally put down the 35. I like my short little rifle so much that I might get the barrel on my Ruger Hawkeye 223 shortened to 20 inches. And I can throw some lead with the bolt gun too, though I find that I lose cases when I get going on the hogs, and I hate to lose those prepped cases.

[Swampghost]

Like plumbernater's dad, my '94 Marlin drops most of them like a rock. I prefer solid bullets, most hollowpoints will come unglued and lose mass/penetration. Mine is zeroed to 100yds. and shoots just over an inch high at 50, drops 14.5"s at 200. I use this rifle in the heavy stuff where I can rarely see 50yds.

A .308 has very similar ballistics to a 30-06 out to about 600yds., you can check ballistics at any cartridge manufacturers site.

[Deadwood Dick]

Just put a deposit on a Marlin 45/70 for my future hog hunt.

[wayne in boca]

The Springfield Armory Socom 16 just might be the best hog gun there is,in my opinion.Shorter than a Marlin 336,and packs a .308 punch with a 20 round capacity.